UTAH
Fox 13
JULY 22, 2016, BY BEN WINSLOW
SALT LAKE CITY — Attorneys have subpoenaed Thomas S. Monson, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to give a deposition in a series of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of Navajo children who participated in a church-run placement program.
Lawyers representing four people who claim to have been sexually abused while participating in the LDS Church’s “Lamanite Placement Program” or “Indian Student Placement Program” in the 1960s and 1970s issued a deposition subpoena to the church leader. FOX 13 learned of the subpoena when attorneys for the church filed in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City to have it quashed.
“In justification of their discovery demand, Defendants claim that President Monson has ‘unique information’ concerning the jurisdictional facts in this case. Nothing could be further from the truth,” LDS Church attorney David Jordan wrote. “The only connection President Monson has to this case is that he happened to be a senior leader of the LDS Church during the time period Defendants allege they were abused. Defendants do not claim that President Monson, in his role as an LDS Church leader, had responsibility for the administration of the ISPP. Nor do Defendants suggest that President Monson has personal knowledge of their participation in the ISPP or of their alleged abuse.”
A letter from the alleged victims’ attorney, Craig Vernon, argues that President Monson’s testimony is relevant. He cites the situation surrounding former LDS Church General Authority George Lee, who was excommunicated from the church in 1989 and accused of sexual abuse. Vernon argues Monson was a high-ranking Mormon church leader at the time, and would be in a position to testify about complaints against Lee.
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